New York, NY—Today, it was reported that the Adams administration will be giving 60-day eviction notices to asylum seeking families (around 30,000 parents and children) living in Department of Homeless Services shelters. This is in addition to the 20,000 parents and children living in Health and Hospitals Corporation and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development shelters who are already subject to 60-day eviction notices. Families are able to reapply for new shelter stays, but are not guaranteed to remain in their current shelter and close to their children’s school.
Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition:
“Every family deserves a stable living and learning environment, whether they’ve been in New York for 30 days or 30 years. By subjecting even more families to arbitrary 60-day shelter evictions, the City risks the health and well-being of vulnerable families, while doing little to solve our affordability crisis. With little notice, parents will be scrambling to secure a roof over their heads while their children will likely have their schooling interrupted, just as the new school year begins. Shelters have always been designed to be a temporary stop-gap until families can get on their feet, but without inclusive and supportive housing solutions, our shelter system will remain overburdened and our families will continue to fall through the cracks. It is long past time for Mayor Adams to stop creating barriers to the successful integration of immigrant New Yorkers into our local communities and economies. The City must end all shelter evictions and expand eligibility of CityFHEPS housing vouchers to all New Yorkers regardless of their immigration status. The success of our newest neighbors – and thus our city’s economy and culture – depends on it.”